


Choices

by Narcissisticpeacock



Category: Uncharted (Video Games)
Genre: Also some girls kissing, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, girls cuddling, references to uncharted 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-20
Updated: 2017-10-20
Packaged: 2019-01-19 19:05:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12416139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Narcissisticpeacock/pseuds/Narcissisticpeacock
Summary: Chloe learns there's not always a choice.Or, Chloe has a bad dream.





	Choices

**Author's Note:**

> There is so much smut on this tag, my ace ass had to post some more fluff.
> 
> Reading bri_notthecheese's fic Nightmare inspired me to finish this one! If you haven't read that yet, you really should.

Nadine shivers and sits up, blinking the sleep from her eyes. A chilly breeze drifts through the hotel room. She's never been great at dealing with the cold. Taking a deep breath, she looks around.

The door to the balcony is open, allowing the cold to get in. She stumbles out of bed, glancing at the other in the room. Chloe isn't there, which explains why the door was open.

Nadine makes her way over and leans on the doorframe. "You alright out here?"

Chloe starts. Her hands are resting on the railing, tight from the surprise but quickly relaxing. "Jeez. I didn't know you were awake."

"I wasn't. Got cold." She shrugs. "But you're good?"

A shrug in response. "Sorry. I should've closed the door." She hums. "And yeah. I guess."

Nadine hesitates. She wants to go back to bed. But an "I guess" isn't the right answer to leave her partner at. She hovers behind Chloe, wondering what the right move might be. Eventually, she moves to stand beside her, arms crossed.

"What's up?" While she doesn't want to pry, she'd rather be certain Chloe was doing okay.

Chloe shrugs again. "Just had a nightmare or two. Nothing I haven't handled on my own before."

Nadine nods. "Alright. But... the point of being partners is you don't have to handle it on your own anymore." She nudges the woman a bit.

Chloe doesn't answer, just gives her a long look. "... You look cold."

A chuckle. "I didn't think to grab myself a blanket." Nadine had stepped out on the balcony in what she'd gone to sleep in: a sports bra and a soft part of pajama pants. Chloe, on the other hand, is wrapped in a robe on top of the pajamas she already wore.

Without a word, Chloe shrugs the robe off and offers it out.

"You don't have to do that."

A sigh and an eyebrow raise. "Then we'll share it." With no hesitation, she wraps the robe around herself and Nadine, pulling the woman in closer.

Nadine hesitates but let's it happen. She hooks an arm around Chloe's waist in an absence of anywhere else to put it. The woman snuggles a bit closer. "You're warm," Nadine comments in a low voice behind Chloe's ear.

Chloe shivers at the sound of it and hopes to pass it off as the cold.

"You alright?" Nadine asks and feels Chloe shiver again. She pulls the robe closer around them to catch the heat in.

"Mm, I suppose. Just thinking too much." She bites her lip and looks out over the horizon. Not one of the worst views they've had. The city is nice enough, from this distance. "Who decided we come to New York anyway? In October? Too cold."

Nadine chuckles. "You. Said we should snatch up the artifact while it's in transit."

"That's really the easiest time to."

The ex-mercenary tightens her grip on the warm side beneath her fingertips. "That's not really an answer you know. About if you're alright."

"Everyone has bad dreams."

"Not everyone is my partner." Nadine doesn't know how it happened, but Chloe is important to her. More than that, really. But she's dedicated to keeping Chloe alive and happy.

Chloe leans back against her. "I am lucky in that, huh?" She sighs. "It's just _dreams_. Like I said." She tugs Nadine’s other arm over and makes it so Nadine is behind her and has both arms around her. "Bad ones that-- Did I tell you anything about when we found Shambala?"

Nadine shakes her head. She's still cold, but having Chloe in her arms helps. "You hadn't."

"Hm. Well. It was back when Nate and I were a thing-- But I had dumped him at that point. I wanted to stay with the people who could keep me alive. Or so I thought." She settles back against Nadine with a sigh. "Dumb ass followed me, trying to save me from whatever he was sure Lazaravitch-- the warlord we had been targeted by-- would do. And this is when he had decided to side with Elena on something that would've got us killed."

"That's his wife, right?" Nadine asks. She's yet to meet Elena, but she's heard a bit about her.

"Yeah. To cut a long story short, Elena and I were used against Nate..." Chloe grips one of the arms around her waist and encourages the hold. "It was... one of us would die and the other would be kept alive to prompt Nate to do what they wanted. I was... I was certain I would die then."

Nadine's grip tightens a tad. Thinking about it made her... maybe not angry, but irritable at the least. If Nate had gotten her hurt...

"You see, Elena and Nate had dated and broken up. I dated him after. But he... he never stopped loving her. So standing there with a gun switching between Elena and I... I thought he'd choose that I die." She shakes her head. "It made sense at the time. As long as Elena was alive, I'd be the second choice."

"Is that what your dream was about?" Nadine asks softly.

"No. Well, yes. Both, actually."

"Explain?" What usually would have been an order is more a request.

"When... when Asav, when he needed me for the puzzle... you heard him, right? He was going to torture you two to death to get me to comply." She shivers again. "I couldn't help but think... what if I'd had to choose? I mean, we avoided it with Nate. He didn't choose. But you were getting hurt and so was Sam... There wasn't a choice. There was just people I cared about being hurt. Because of me."

Nadine coerces Chloe to turn so they're face to face and pulls her close. "You cared about me at that point?"

Chloe practically scoffs and follows it with a nod. "Didn't realize I hadn't made that obvious. After the elephant ride? And finding out my dad was there?"

"Hm, well. I did appreciate you telling Sam you trusted me."

"And I appreciate all the times you saved my life back there." She gives Nadine an enigmatic look before biting her lip. "Think we can avoid anymore of me watching you suffer?"

Nadine hums and shifts the blanket around them. "I can't make promises, but I can try."

Chloe slips her arms around Nadine and moves in closer, nuzzling her face against her neck. "Mm, that'll have to do. I don't want that on my conscience anymore." She lets out a soft sigh that brushes over Nadine's collarbone. She shivers just a bit at it and feels Chloe grin against her shoulder. "Guess we should head in, hm?"

"Blankets would be nice," Nadine concludes. As nice as it is holding Chloe, she's cold and tired. She moves to go inside, the robe slipping off her shoulders, but Chloe cements her arms around Nadine's waist. "Hard to go back in when you won't let go."

Chloe shrugs but keeps her face buried against Nadine's neck. "I like knowing you're here."

A soft hum leaves Nadine and she runs a hand through Chloe's hair. "Where else would I be?" She doesn't expect an answer and instead does her best to get a grip on Chloe and lift her. Chloe makes it a little easier and lets herself be picked up.

"Rather dedicated to going in, aren't you?"

"I'm cold, Chloe."

Chloe chuckles and Nadine carries her bridal style back in and sets her on her bed. As she tries to stand, to move back to her own, Chloe tightens her grip, keeping Nadine bent over and close to her. The ex-mercenary huffs and mumbles a perplexed "Waarom?"

A near giggle leaves Chloe as she anchors her hold. "Well, why _not_? That's the real question," she responds. In a softer voice, a bit more serious, she adds. "I just... really like knowing you're here."

It sinks in a bit slow, but Nadine gets it. Chloe is still stuck in the left over residue of her nightmare, still thinking about choices and torture and losing her friends and herself. So she very gently adjusts Chloe's grip and climbs into bed with her. It's only a single but they both fit. "Alright."

Chloe seems rather pleased to get the result she has. She pulls Nadine closer and curls against her. Nadine holds her, one hand lazily playing with her hair.

"And how long do I have to put up with this?" she asks in a low voice. She sounds amused but warm.

"As long as you can _possibly_ tolerate me," Chloe responds.

Nadine shifts and presses a kiss to her partner's forehead. "Then I guess we'll be here a while."

With very little warning, Chloe moves so they're face to face and tugs her partner into a brief kiss. "Mm, I'm glad you can tolerate me."

Nadine shrugs. "I think tolerate is the wrong word, actually."

"Well, what then?"

She gives Chloe a long look. She can tell the woman is waiting for a reaction to the kiss and while she'd love to give one, she's never been the type to encourage overdramatics. She, instead, takes her time and examines every inch of Chloe's face. Chloe is trying to appear amused, nonchalant even, but Nadine can see the uncertainty in her eyes. She's sure Chloe is nervous about what she's about to say-- not that she'd ever admit it.

"Intend to tell me, or just enjoying the view?" Chloe jokes.

"That's right, I think." She hums. "The right word. I enjoy your company. Not tolerate." Chloe breaks out into a grin but Nadine speaks up before she can. "Feeling better?”

“My mind is off those darker thoughts, at the very least.” She purses her lips. “I wasn't lying when I said I like knowing you're here.” A sigh. “I'm bad with feelings, but I'm just… I'm happy you're my partner.”

Nadine kisses her then. Chloe sinks into it right away and practically melts. It doesn't last long, but she's left breathless just the same.

“ _Really_ happy that you're my partner,” she mumbles.

Nadine laughs and rests their foreheads together.

Chloe’s expression is soft as she's looking at Nadine. “For Sam’s sake, we should really avoid situations where I have to choose between you two again. Dunno if I could be convinced to choose anyone _but_ you.”

Another laugh from Nadine but it turns to a small squeak as Chloe slips her hands under Nadine's shirt and presses cold fingers to her stomach. “Ag! Koud, Frazer!”

“I'd be happy to warm you up, darling.”

Nadine sighs. “I'm starting to think this was a ploy to get me in your bed.”

“I didn't want to have bad dreams, but you know me. Opportunist at heart. If it got you in my bed…”

“Convince me in the morning. Sleep is looking more attractive right now.”

“More attractive than me? Jeez, I'm starting to question your tastes.”


End file.
